Generally on this blog, you will find writing on how to live a creative life, inspiration for fighting through the blocks that keep you from your dreams, and practical words of wisdom to guide you on your art nurture journey. Today I want to ask, in light of this tragedy, what can you and I do? Some of you know that I ran my first Marathon two years ago and documented my journey here on this blog. My heart is full aware of the spirit of the marathon, the hope and perseverance it teaches, the inspiration it brings to others, and the people it helps along the way. Many run for charities, for inspiration, for their families, for something they believe in, for the love of the sport, or simply because they want to know if they can do it. Yesterday my dear friend, Juli Windsor, was about to make history as the first Little Person to cross the finish line at the Boston Marathon. She stands 3ft 9in. and takes twice as many steps as the average runner throughout the same distance. She was off of her time by a few minutes yesterday and was a half mile from finishing the race when she and other runners were blocked from the course and told that the race was canceled. Eventually, news got to them that there had been explosions. It was a panicking moment as Juli was thinking of her husband, Blake, and their mother's waiting at the finish line for her. She eventually, found out they were all ok. Here is an interview with Juli, recounting the events yesterday. We are all still confused, wanting answers about what happened yesterday. Though, answers do not console those who lost loved ones and who will have injuries the rest of their lives because of such senseless acts of violence. It has been an emotional time for many across our nation and the world, as the Boston Marathon is an iconic race, attracting people from all over our globe. We all feel unsettled. What can we do? This past Saturday, I ran a 5k. It is only 3.1 miles compared to the marathon's 26.2, but a run nonetheless. We were running to raise money for children's music education. A very important cause. I picked up my bib number in the morning and lo and behold, my number was 29, the age I am now. I save each and every racing bib I have ever worn. My first from four years ago when I ran my first 5k, my half marathons, my first marathon, and my "29" from the 5k this past Saturday. I was looking over each of them last night, trying to process what happened yesterday. I looked at my #29 and saw the company's slogan, "It's Who I Am" printed above the race number, the same number as my age.
Luckily, none of us is really a number. None of us are defined by the numbers assigned to us. I may be 29 years old, but age is just a number. My friend, Juli, may be 3ft. 9inches. tall, but her height is only a number. But who we are....that is who we decide to be. Last week I wrote about The Top 17 Reasons Why the World Needs You to be an Artist. I said that artists are people who live with passion, intention and purpose. This world is not a perfect place and we have to decide who we want to be and how we want to live, in light of all that we see and experience. At the end of Juli's interview she said she would most definitely participate in the Boston Marathon again. I cried. How can we participate in life? What can we do? Can we be an artist of our days, living with passion, intention and purpose? Can we unabashedly give to others? Juli, like many yesterday, were running not only for themselves, but were running for charities. They were running to inspire and contribute to the world in positive ways. If you feel like you would like to donate,here is a link to Juli's charity. You can also find all of the official race charities that so many were running for by clicking here. Whatever your age, your height, your name, your other numbers or titles or labels assigned to you, please consider what you can do to be an artist of our days. What good and beauty can you create and give. We need you and we need your unique voice. Thank you for considering these thoughts today. Warmest Regards, Court
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